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Same Note, Different Voice: What Timbre Is

6th grade nonfiction passage about timbre and overtones: 217 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

6th grade nonfiction timbre and overtones 217 words

Same Note, Different Voice: What Timbre Is

Suppose a flute and a trumpet both play the same note at the same loudness. You would still never mix them up. Something about each sound is different, and that quality is called timbre, which is said like TAM-ber. It is the reason a violin sounds like a violin and not like a piano.

To understand timbre, think about what happens when a string or a column of air vibrates. It does not only move in one big swing. It also vibrates in smaller parts at the same time, and these make quieter, higher tones called overtones. Your ear blends the main note and the overtones into one sound, so you hear a single note.

Different instruments make different mixes of overtones. The shape of an instrument, the material it is made from, and the way it is played all change which overtones are strong and which are weak. A mellow sound may have only a few strong overtones, while a bright, buzzing sound has many.

Timbre helps composers choose instruments for a piece. A sad tune might be given to a warm, dark cello, while a lively one may sparkle on a piccolo. Even people have their own timbre, which is why you can recognize a friend's voice on the phone without seeing a face.

Questions

  1. What is timbre? in the text

  2. What are overtones? in the text

  3. What can change which overtones are strong? in the text

  4. Which instrument might play a lively tune that sparkles? in the text

  5. Why do a flute and a trumpet sound different on the same note? think about it

  6. Why can you know a friend's voice on the phone? think about it

Words to know

timbre
the special quality that makes each sound different
overtones
quiet higher tones that sound along with a main note
vibrates
moves back and forth very fast
mellow
soft, smooth and gentle
composers
people who write music
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 183 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.2

A flute and a trumpet play the same note. They play it at the same loudness. You still would not mix them up. Each sound has a different quality. This quality is called timbre. You say it like TAM-ber. It is why a violin does not sound like a piano.

To see why, think about a string or a column of air that shakes. It does not only swing one big way. It also shakes in smaller parts at the same time. These make quiet, higher tones called overtones. Your ear mixes the main note and the overtones. You hear one note.

Different instruments make different mixes of overtones. The shape, the material, and the way it is played all change which overtones are strong. A mellow sound has a few strong overtones. A bright, buzzing sound has many.

Timbre helps people who write music pick instruments. A sad tune may go to a warm, dark cello. A lively tune may sparkle on a piccolo. People have their own timbre too. That is how you know a friend's voice on the phone.

▲ This passage · 217 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.6

Suppose a flute and a trumpet both play the same note at the same loudness. You would still never mix them up. Something about each sound is different, and that quality is called timbre, which is said like TAM-ber. It is the reason a violin sounds like a violin and not like a piano.

To understand timbre, think about what happens when a string or a column of air vibrates. It does not only move in one big swing. It also vibrates in smaller parts at the same time, and these make quieter, higher tones called overtones. Your ear blends the main note and the overtones into one sound, so you hear a single note.

Different instruments make different mixes of overtones. The shape of an instrument, the material it is made from, and the way it is played all change which overtones are strong and which are weak. A mellow sound may have only a few strong overtones, while a bright, buzzing sound has many.

Timbre helps composers choose instruments for a piece. A sad tune might be given to a warm, dark cello, while a lively one may sparkle on a piccolo. Even people have their own timbre, which is why you can recognize a friend's voice on the phone without seeing a face.

■ Harder · 224 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.3

Suppose that a flute and a trumpet both play precisely the same note at the same loudness. You would still never confuse the two, because something about each sound is distinct, and that quality is called timbre, pronounced TAM-ber. It explains why a violin sounds like a violin rather than like a piano.

To understand timbre, consider what happens when a string or a column of air vibrates. It does not merely move in one large swing. It also vibrates in smaller sections at the very same time, and these produce quieter, higher tones known as overtones. Your ear blends the main note together with the overtones into a single sound, so you perceive only one note.

Different instruments generate different mixtures of overtones. The shape of an instrument, the material from which it is made, and the manner in which it is played all influence which overtones are strong and which are weak. A mellow sound may contain only a few strong overtones, whereas a bright, buzzing sound contains many.

Timbre guides composers as they choose instruments for a piece. A sad tune might be assigned to a warm, dark cello, while a lively one may sparkle on a piccolo. Even people possess their own timbre, which is why you can recognize a friend's voice on the phone without seeing a face.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put timbre, overtones, vibrates, mellow and composers on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 2 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 5 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Same Note, Different Voice: What Timbre Is"?

It was written for 6th grade. It has 217 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 6.5. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 2 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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